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Finding And Leveraging Your Leadership Sweet Spot

Dr.Rob Fazio, OnPoint Advising, has over 20 years of experience advising on power, influence, and motivation with elite and emerging talent.

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Warren Buffet is one of the most powerful people in the world, and it’s not just because he’s rich. It’s because he’s focused and passionate about sharing his wealth and wisdom.

His investment strategies have proven to be effective in life and in business. In the HBO documentary about his life, he talks about baseball great Ted Williams’ "science of hitting." Williams says he doesn’t swing at a pitch unless it's in his sweet spot. Similarly, Buffet advises that when it comes to investing, he doesn't feel the same pressure to swing at pitches. You can be patient and wait for your best opportunity.

When it comes to leadership, knowing your leadership sweet spot and where to focus your time has a big payoff. You are being strategic about what you are involved in rather than just completing tasks. And what we know from Gallup is that if you focus on your strengths, you're more productive and more likely to be engaged.

By finding and leveraging your LSS, you sharpen your signature strengths, become more motivated and influence the people around you to do the same, creating a positive working environment.

Finding Your Leadership Sweet Spot (LSS)

Your LSS is the overlap of three factors: what you enjoy doing, what you're good at and what adds value to the business.

To find your LSS, start with yourself. For one month, keep a list of activities that fit into the intersection above. This will be your roadmap.

The next step is to tell two people who work with you and know you well that you are looking to focus on your LSS to elevate the business and would appreciate them playing a role in your ambitions. Ask them what they think your LSS is. Involving other people will open you up to options you may not have considered before or reinforce what you already believe is your LSS.

One of my clients enjoyed influencing people, was an expert in innovative technology and was brilliant at networking and deepening key client relationships. So his sweet spot was expanding the startup's footprint and focusing on new client development. Given what he enjoyed, what he was good at and what would add value to his business, this is precisely why his sweet spot was a winning strategy.

Leveraging Your Leadership Sweet Spot In Business

Once you know what your LSS is, it’s time to make it play to your advantage. You can use your LSS to make an impact by being intentional and focusing more of your time on activities that allow you to leverage it.

A challenge executives face is feeling obligated to attend meetings and getting pulled into activities that don’t have a payoff or allow them to do what brings them energy. Schedule time to leverage your LSS. Go into your calendar and remove meetings that you don’t have to be a part of. Replace that time with activities that are aligned with your LSS. Let people know what it is and why focusing your time on that will be beneficial to the business. If your motivation is self-ambition and organizational success, colleagues will perceive you as a focused team player.

Inviting Others To Find Their Own

Though many businesses have good intentions when nurturing talent, conversations as a result of these programs tend to be shallow. Participants are just looking to avoid saying anything that can get them in trouble rather than having candid conversations about aspirations, concerns and opportunities.

The leaders I see most people want to follow have intentionally dedicated time to play a role in the ambitions of others. They even go as far as to develop them and let them grow into roles that are best for the organization as opposed to treating them like projects or possessions. You gain influence capital by helping others realize how to tap into their drive.

What if you invited a couple of your worst performers to have a series of conversations around their LSS? Yes, there is the risk that it will be painful and maybe even a waste of time. But what if you were able to turn around just one of your worst performers because you took the time to identify what they enjoy, what they're good at, and what adds value? I’ve seen people who used to be “poor performers," but someone gave them a chance and the space to grow the way they wanted to.

When you find and leverage your LSS, you will create a more engaging organizational climate, be more motivated yourself, increase your chances of upward mobility and decrease your chances of burnout.

Following Buffet’s lead, realize that you don’t have to give into the pressure of swinging at every pitch. It’s a matter of finding where you want to focus your time and energy and encouraging others to do the same.